The Bearded
Vulture
Flying on the highest mountains of Southern Europe, and the Alps lives the Bearded Vulture. These majestic animals are also well known as the Kings of the Dead due to their diet and hunting skills. During November and February, these monogamous animals lay one or two eggs on a very high mountain so that no other predator can take them away. Usually, when they lay two eggs, the second one tends to be smaller, is a form of biological insurance. Once the eggs are laid, the chicks hatch at the beginning of spring. Unfortunately, one of chick is killed by its older sibling in the first weeks after hatching, but only the strongest one survives. The Bearded Vulture is a bird of prey, who is closely related to hawks family, but the only difference is their feathered, long neck. In July 2014 the IUCN Red List reassessed their yearly list of species to be near threatened; and unfortunately, the Bearded Vulture was one of the top ones on the list. Their population trend is decreasing yearly.
By: Katerine Chung